Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 69 It's You Behind the Clouds
After a brief hesitation, Han Zhou ultimately chose to yield for the five points.

"I promise you," he said helplessly. "But let's make this clear beforehand: if you do anything too outrageous, I can't guarantee I won't get angry."

He was still unhappy and protested at the right time, "Also, can you please stop using conditions to get me to do things? It's like a transaction."

Mo Yixia readily agreed, saying, "Okay, then I'll just ask you to do anything for me from now on."

"That's pretty much it..."

Han Zhou felt that this was how friends should interact, but he quickly realized something was wrong—

Wait a minute, this guy's situation is pretty complicated. If I have to help him just because he begs me, wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?
No, you can't say that. On the other hand, I can also ask her to do things for me...

Seemingly sensing his thoughts, Mo Yixia asked, "What's wrong?"

Han Zhou shook his head: "It's okay, you can continue. I'm a homeless man who rummages through garbage, and you're an ordinary person who's tone-deaf. So what?"

Let's finish the temporary task first.

"Hmm... let me think. In exchange, I need to make sure you're well-fed, and in return, you need to praise my singing voice no matter what..."

Mo Yixia first reviewed what she had said before, then looked thoughtful. It was hard to tell whether she was recalling or making it up on the spot, but Han Zhou thought it was the latter.

A few seconds later, Mo Yixia said, "We've maintained this relationship for a long time. Singing is one of the few things I enjoy, but I'm not good at it, and nobody likes to listen to me. So I only dare to sing in front of you. And even though it's always a struggle, you still force yourself to praise my singing in order to live off me. I know you don't want to, and I know it's against your will, but I still feel satisfied."

What's all this...

Han Zhou muttered to himself, but he kept the mission requirements in mind and gave this dream monologue enough respect, without interrupting.

He also wanted to hear what this guy had to say.

"Dreams are an elusive thing. I can't remember many of the details now, and I don't know how time passed in them. I only remember that the story continued to develop in an absurd yet mundane way. The absurd part is that we were maintaining such an awkward relationship, but gradually we developed real feelings for each other."

Han Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly.

However, Mo Yixia's old habit kicked in again. She paused here, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly asked without warning, "Han Zhou, do you know what I hate the most?"

The thing I hate most...

Han Zhou paused for two seconds, unsure why this guy would suddenly bring this up, and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Being locked up at home studying?"

"I do not like this, but it is only a superficial manifestation, not the essence of the matter."

Han Zhou thought about it carefully and said, "The essence is too hard to guess, but the source of this matter should be your mother, right? But I remember you said before that you didn't hate her that much, so it doesn't seem to be her..."

He had certainly considered the reasons why Mo Yixia developed a misanthropic mentality, but no matter how he thought about it, he felt that it was the pressure from Jiang Baiqian's coercive education that caused her to close herself off and become the way she is now.

However, this inference becomes somewhat untenable after it is confirmed that Mo Yixia is a good student, because she is fully capable of handling this pressure. Once she reveals her true abilities, Jiang Baiqian might not need to pressure her like this at all.

"You've finally remembered what I said properly this time." Mo Yixia breathed a sigh of relief.

She was clearly referring to the fact that Han Zhou remembered her saying she didn't dislike her mother that much.

Perhaps for that reason, she didn't let Han Zhou guess any further, but instead gave him the answer directly.

"What I hate is other people's expectations."

"expect?"

Han Zhou frowned slightly, not expecting such an answer.

"Well, I don't remember when it started, but the reason my mom forced me to study was because she wanted me to do things she couldn't do herself. I hated her intense gaze and didn't want to fulfill her wishes, but it wasn't entirely because of her."

“Many people say she did it for my own good, but to me, that statement itself is the most hypocritical expectation, an imposed kindness, an inescapable shackle, disgusting to the point of nausea—expectations are too heavy for me, and I have always felt that it is a different kind of coercion.”

After a pause, Mo Yixia continued, "However, I know very well that people are individuals, but also social animals. They will inevitably cross paths for various reasons, and it's unavoidable to place expectations on each other. I can ignore how others get along, but I cannot accept anyone having any expectations of me. Do you understand what I mean?"

She glanced at Han Zhou.

It turned out to be like this...

Han Zhou remained silent for a long time. To be honest, he found it hard to support Mo Yixia's theory. Her ideas were too extreme. If a person chooses to reject all expectations, it is destined to be difficult to connect with others, and it is normal for them to gradually become tired of this world.

He finally understood why the status bar said Mo Yixia was extremely rebellious and hated all expectations. This was her true nature; she was unwilling to respond to others, which was naturally a form of rebellion.

This must be an illness, right?

"So that's why you have a misanthropic mindset?" he asked.

"Did you see that?"

Mo Yixia seemed somewhat surprised, but her tone remained calm. "It wouldn't be wrong to say I'm world-weary. This is a heavy world entangled with all sorts of expectations. Whether from others or from society, everyone has to live under heavy pressure. It's only natural that I hate it."

"But that must be very tiring."

Instead of answering, Mo Yixia asked, "Do you think it's easy for you to be like this right now?"

Han Zhou was taken aback, then suddenly remembered what the other person had said yesterday, and couldn't help but ask, "So, do you still hate me too?"

Are you asking about the past or the present?

"Of course now."

"You've forgotten what I said again."

Mo Yixia sighed softly, not answering, but saying, "Actually, I don't have much ill will towards you, because you're one of the few people who don't have any expectations of me, or rather, you don't like to force others. So far, your biggest expectation of me is just to make me smile at you, I don't know what kind of strange quirk it is..."

Han Zhou was taken aback. His mind had been mostly on the status bar and points, so he really didn't have any expectations for this guy. He didn't expect this to be a plus...

He pondered for a moment, then said strangely, "Your definition of expectation is quite broad. I feel like you simply don't like being told what to do by others?"

"I don't deny that I really hate it when people make demands of me, like when my mom forces me to study. But isn't doing things according to other people's ideas also a kind of expectation?"

Han Zhou was about to retort when he suddenly realized something and said absentmindedly, "That's why you've been using a conditional exchange method to get along with me from the very beginning, even after you acknowledged that we're friends. Because a conditional exchange doesn't count as making demands, and this way you can avoid the things you hate..."

There was one more thing he didn't say: Mo Yixia might have insisted on doing this so that she wouldn't dislike him—she didn't intend to change herself or others, so she intentionally maintained this way of getting along.

If that's really the case, then it's quite awkward... Han Zhou felt that he finally had a deeper understanding of Mo Yixia.

But then he suddenly remembered something.

Mo Yixia didn't respond to him, and the topic shifted again as she asked, "Where was my dream just now?"

Han Zhou didn't mind, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "You said that I've developed real feelings for you."

"Oh, that's genuine feeling. Then continue."

Mo Yixia pondered, "Even in my dreams, I still hate other people's expectations, so I actually like being ordinary, because that way I'm not worth anyone's expectations, like weeds on the roadside."

"The only thing I don't like is that you're tone-deaf, because I love to sing and sometimes I want to receive praise from others. So someone like you, who has to force yourself to praise me in order to live off a woman and is destined to have no expectations of me, is just my type."

"But now that I think about it carefully, I realize that expectation is the thing I hate the most. I treat it as a heavy shackle, yet I expect you to accommodate me. Isn't that ironic?"

As he listened, Han Zhou suddenly understood.

The "dream monologue" mentioned in the timed mission doesn't actually refer to a dream, but rather to Mo Yixia's inner monologue. This is a rare moment when she opens up, and for some reason, she seems somewhat lost.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "So how did we develop feelings for each other in the dream?"

"You think this is strange, right?"

Mo Yixia glanced at him. "I also find it strange, but there doesn't seem to be any particular reason. It's just that once we're strangers, the second time we get to know each other, and the third or fourth time we sleep together on the same bed. I guess it's what they call growing feelings over time. But our relationship hasn't changed much. You're still living off me and then lying through your teeth praising my singing."

Love grows over time...

Han Zhou pondered for a moment. Could it be that this guy was really having a wet dream?
Mo Yixia observed his reaction, sighed softly, and said in a melancholy tone, "It's a pity that the good times didn't last long. We didn't live happily ever after because an accident happened."

This sounds like a common plot twist in stories. Do you dare to swear on your conscience that you're not making this up?
Han Zhou's eyes twitched, but he still cooperated and asked, "What accident?"

Mo Yixia sighed: "My true identity is actually a princess from a neighboring country. One day, the king led a large army to invade and took me away from your side. You never saw me again and returned to your old life of picking up garbage, crying all day long, feeling like you were living a life worse than death."

"This is so cliché..."

Han Zhou couldn't hold back any longer and said sadly, "Also, why don't you just tell me about your ending and your feelings? Why keep telling me?"

"It is indeed very cliché, but that's how it was in my dream. As for why you didn't mention my ending..."

Mo Yixia said with a sense of loss, "Because the dream ended here, I was quite sad in the dream, but after I woke up, I saw you dancing around next to me like an idiot, and you kept staring at me. Suddenly I didn't feel so sad anymore. Being taken away was actually not a bad ending."

"is it?"

Han Zhou chuckled twice. "The princess who was taken away easily forgot the partners who once supported each other. In terms of the ending, it's not too cliché."

Mo Yixia glanced at him: "Let me correct you, we're not partners, but rather people who've slept together on the same bed three or four times. I even had a child when I was taken away..." This guy always says shocking things and seems to have no sense of shame.

She paused, then her tone suddenly became more serious, "So if you had to choose, what kind of ending would you choose?"

Han Zhou smirked: "What choice do I, a homeless man, have? Do you have some unrealistic expectations of me?"

Mo Yixia turned to stare at him and emphasized, word by word, "Remember, I'm carrying your child."

"This is just a dream," Han Zhou kindly reminded him.

Even if it's a dream, I already have your child.

Are you starting to act like a scoundrel?

Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated. After thinking for a moment, he said seriously, "Then I'll probably choose the cliché ending, where the handsome young man makes a comeback, wins back the princess, and lives happily ever after..."

As the words fell, the room fell silent, and the two remained silent for a long time, maintaining their tacit understanding.

The silence was broken only when the air conditioner started up again, making a whooshing sound to cool things down.

The heavy curtains blocked out the glaring sunlight and scorching heat, while the air conditioner blew out cool air, filling the room with a refreshing coolness.

"are you cold?"

After a long silence, Mo Yixia suddenly asked.

Han Zhou was taken aback, then stood up and said, "I'm fine. If you feel cold, I'll go and turn up the air conditioning."

"No need." Mo Yixia shook her head, drawing short lines on the paper with her pen. "Could you bring me my school uniform jacket? I won't be cold if I wear it."

She always does this; if she feels cold, she puts on her school uniform jacket. However, this is the first time she has asked Han Zhou to help her get her school uniform.

This included getting her orange juice this morning, which was also a first for me.

She usually does these things herself and doesn't ask anyone else to help.

Han Zhou handed her the school uniform hanging to the side, a faint fragrance wafting into her nostrils, and asked, "You haven't finished telling your dream yet, have you?"

Mo Yixia put on her school uniform, tucked her fair arms into the sleeves, and tidied her long hair that was draped behind her, looking as if she was about to go to school.

She replied irrelevantly, "My dad will be back tomorrow."

"Ah."

"he……"

"He intends to take the princess to the king of the neighboring country."

Han Zhou picked up where the girl left off, a half-smile on his face, and said, "You mean you're going to be taken away by your dad, right?"

Mo Yixia's reaction was calm: "How did you know?"

Han Zhou smiled and said, "I remember you mentioned this before, saying that your dad would come back and take you away. Besides, I'm not stupid. You just hinted at it like that, how could I not see it?"

"This is not an implication; I really had that dream."

Mo Yixia was silent for a while before speaking her mind, "I don't like that kind of ending."

Whether it was a dream or not is no longer important. Han Zhou said thoughtfully, "So this is the thing you've been keeping from me, worried that I'd be angry. You wanted me to stay here for you, and you've even done something in my name, right?"

"Correct."

Mo Yixia glanced at him with a slightly flustered look, her tone unusually guilty, "W-will you be angry with me?"

This is quite rare. Han Zhou couldn't help but chuckle and said, "I was going to be angry, but I remembered something, so I'm not angry anymore."

"what's up?"

"You'll have to think about it yourself."

He mimicked the other person's previous behavior by keeping them in suspense, as revenge for the guy's earlier actions.

However, Mo Yixia didn't fall for the trap or press for details. She simply sighed and said, "I must be a very annoying person. I clearly hate other people's expectations, but now I want to force those expectations on you."

"It's really annoying."

Han Zhou nodded in agreement.

"Although it was the answer I expected, it still hurt to hear you say it like that."

Mo Yixia said dejectedly, "I really am a contradictory person."

"That's right, very self-aware."

"Since I'm such an annoying and contradictory person, you certainly won't choose the old-fashioned ending again, right?"

She lowered her head, looking bewildered and helpless.

Han Zhou watched Mo Yixia's performance quietly.

This act of feigning helplessness was all too familiar; he'd used it on this guy just two days ago, so naturally he wasn't going to fall for it. He said with a headache, "Alright, stop playing the victim. What exactly did you learn from me...?"

Seeing that she had been seen through, Mo Yixia simply stopped pretending and immediately reverted to her usual self, calmly saying, "Since you're not angry with me, can I take that as you're willing to help me?"

"Yes." Han Zhou sighed. "But I'm still completely baffled. Do you have any countermeasures in mind?"

"Yes, go tell my dad we have a child."

"What the hell?"

Han Zhou seemed not to have heard clearly.

“Go tell my dad we have a child.”

"last sentence."

Mo Yixia wasn't fooled and concluded definitively, "We have a child."

Han Zhou looked dejected. When will this guy get rid of his habit of talking nonsense?
His eyes darted around, and he planned to take advantage of the situation: "I can help you, but in exchange, you have to promise to do something for me."

"Okay, but this can't be used to offset what you owe me before."

Han Zhou's thoughts were once again seen through, and he immediately gave in.

Mo Yixia smiled without saying a word, then stretched her arms and yawned.

The school uniform jacket was a bit thin, but she didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she always felt that it was warmer than usual, just like the orange juice in the morning was sweeter than usual.

Thinking about it carefully, even though I hate anticipation, I don't really need to have too much connection with a place. I should just be a rootless person and it doesn't matter where I go. So why do I want to stay here?

She gave herself many reasons, but there was only one real reason—

Just as she thought yesterday, she simply didn't want summer to end too soon.

Yesterday was the first time she said "see you tomorrow" to someone. She felt that she hadn't yet learned how to control her tone, which was a skill she needed to learn, and she wanted to practice a few more times.

Ten times, a hundred times, many times, until you learn it.

This guy has an obligation to teach me.

Many things don't make sense. If she hadn't had that dream, if she hadn't woken up and not seen him beside her, she probably wouldn't have said those things at all.

How can I describe this complex feeling?

I can't find the exact adjective, but if I had to describe it, it would probably be that I'm used to having someone eat the fish I don't like, and I'm used to having a knowledgeable guy who can talk nonsense, and he's very interesting, perhaps always satisfying my curiosity.

If the story isn't long enough, then get him to write a few more lines.

It's a really strange relationship.

There's one thing she wasn't lying about: she really didn't remember the lyrics to "I Want to Fall in Love," she just liked the melody.

However, she was particularly impressed by the last two lines of the lyrics—

"It rained every day back then, and the sun was always hiding behind the clouds."

"It wasn't until a clear day many years later that I realized it was you behind the clouds."

This chapter is quite long, over five thousand words. The motivations for some of the actions are not explained, such as why Mo Yixia asked Han Zhou to bring the juice and school uniform. These should be easy to understand; it's a kind of ambiguity. Also, I never write anything to preach or criticize, but only to serve the characters. Please don't project your thoughts onto the characters.

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(End of this chapter)